BLACK KITE. 103 
graceful bird exhibits some amusing peculiarities in its 
nidification. It has a passion for gaudily-coloured rags, 
which it assiduously collects and hangs in front of and 
around as well as in its nest. It does not appear to 
lay more than three, often only a single egg. A 
series of its eggs displays richer colouring than one 
either of the Common Kite or Milvus parasiticus, but 
the greatest care was taken in identifying each 
species.” 
M. Moquin-Tandon has kindly sent me a drawing 
from which my figure is taken, which was accompanied 
by the followmg remarks:—‘This egg was given me 
by M. Schinz, of Ziirich; it comes from the north of 
Switzerland, where this bird is not common. M. 
Schinz has figured (plate 38, fig. 4) an egg of this 
bird coyered with very dark small brown spots, very 
numerous, and mingled together at the smaller end. 
If the species is authentic, it is a very remarkable 
variety. M.Thienemann (plate 11, fig. 7) has given 
an authentic drawing of this egg. I think, however, 
it is rather too large. I saw a few days ago in the 
Museum of Natural History, some eggs of F. ater, 
sent from Africa by M. Favier; they exactly resembled 
the drawing I send to you.” 
An adult male in the Norwich Museum has the 
head, neck, throat, and upper part of chest striped 
with brown upon a whitish grey ground. Belly 
rufous, with the feather shafts black; thighs and 
under tail coverts rich cinnamon brown, with longitu- 
dinal markings. Wings above dark brown, lighter on 
the scapularies; primaries black; secondaries hair 
brown. Tail above dark brown, underneath grey, with 
darker transverse bands. Beak black; cere yellow; 
tarsi and toes grey. 
